Researchers from CIM will use the Rías Baixas as a natural laboratory to study coastal acidification

As Rías Baixas son sistemas socioecolóxicos sensibles que se enfrontan aos efectos provocados polo cambio climático ao mesmo tempo que á presión antropoxénica xerada pola industria, a acuicultura ou as actividades portuarias e pesqueiras. Neste escenario nace ACID, un proxecto multidisciplinar liderado por investigadoras do Centro de Investigación Mariña da Universidade de Vigo (CIM) que se mergullará nunha análise sen precedentes sobre o papel do CO2 nos ecosistemas costeiros dende un enfoque integral e innovador. Liderado por tres mulleres, o proxecto abordará a investigación “dende diferentes enfoques, compaxinando o estudo da resposta biolóxica ao incremento do dióxido de carbono na auga coa análise do cambio en variables físicas como a intensidade do afloramento e valorando como iso pode afectar económica e socialmente á poboación humana que reside na contorna”. Con Cristina Sobrino como investigadora principal, o Grupo de Oceanografía Biolóxica (GOB) encargarase de determinar os impactos do CO2 elevado na estrutura e produción da comunidade microbiana planctónica das rías de Vigo e de Muros e Noia. Pola súa banda, Inés Álvarez liderará a investigación do Environmental Physics Laboratory (EPhysLab), que se centrará en explorar un modelo numérico para xerar mapas locais cos índices de surxencia, precipitación, as achegas da degradación da materia orgánica ou o aumento de nutrientes na plataforma continental procedentes das zonas de auga doce internas. O grupo Future Oceans Lab (FOL), coa investigadora Elena Ojea á fronte, encargarase de facer unha predición do impacto económico e social que esta realidade ten na contorna. Tras uns meses de traballos previos, a reunión de lanzamento tivo lugar este xoves en Citexvi e contou coa participación de 30 persoas en representación de todos os socios implicados, tanto dos grupos da UVigo como do resto de entidades. Un laboratorio natural No marco deste proxecto, as rías de Vigo e Muros e Noia converteranse nun laboratorio natural para investigar a acidificación dos ecosistemas costeiros que permitirá comparar un espazo potencialmente impactado pola acción das persoas con outra menos susceptible de sufrir a intervención antropoxénica. Para a ampla investigación que desenvolverá ACID cóntase coa colaboración dun grupo interdisciplinar de novas e novos investigadores consolidados a nivel nacional e internacional que unirán os seus coñecementos para abordar e comprender o efecto do cambio climático nos ecosistemas costeiros dende múltiples perspectivas. Xunto a outras investigadoras e investigadores da Universidad de Cádiz ou do Instituto de Investigacións Mariñas, participan no proxecto Patrick J. Neale e Withman Miller, do Smithsonian Environmental Research Center de Estados Unidos, centro que proporcionará ao equipo un novo instrumento para ir monitorizando o CO2 en continuo na columna de auga, ou Kristian Spilling, do Marine Research Centre do Finnish Environment Institute de Finlandia. Perspectiva de xénero ACID inclúe por primeira vez na súa investigación a perspectiva de xénero na avaliación dos riscos das ameazas derivadas do cambio climático e da acidificación dos ecosistemas costeiros. Unha variable de especial relevancia se se ten en conta que case un 40% do sector pesqueiro ten nome de muller, especialmente nas pesqueiras de moluscos intermareais. O proxecto rematará cunha fase final na que se transferirá a persoal, empresas ou entidades gubernamentais os coñecementos adquiridos, que permitirán identificar localizacións críticas e compoñentes do ecosistema costeiro con maior risco socioecolóxico a partir dos que propoñer estratexias de xestión para mitigar resultados non desexados. Os resultados do proxecto tamén se trasladarán á sociedade xeral a través de obradoiros, presentacións e outro tipo de actuacións dirixidas tamén a concienciar sobre a importancia do traballo científico. ACID foi seleccionado na convocatoria de Proxectos de Xeración de Coñecemento no marco do Programa Estatal para Impulsar a Investigación Científico-Técnica e a súa Transferencia, do Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica, Técnica e de Innovación 2021-2023. Cun orzamento de preto de 200.000 euros, terá vixencia ata o ano 2025.
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Within the framework of the ACID project, a multidisciplinary initiative presented this Thursday at Citexvi. They will analyze the biological and social impact of increased CO2, including a gender perspective

The Rías Baixas are sensitive socio-ecological systems facing the effects of climate change, along with anthropogenic pressure generated by industry, aquaculture, or port and fishing activities. In this scenario, ACID is born, a multidisciplinary project led by researchers from the Marine Research Center of the University of Vigo (CIM) that will undertake an unprecedented analysis of the role of CO2 in coastal ecosystems from a comprehensive and innovative approach.

Led by three women, the project will address research “from different approaches, combining the study of the biological response to the increase of carbon dioxide in the water with the analysis of changes in physical variables such as upwelling intensity and assessing how this can affect economically and socially the human population residing in the environment”.

With Cristina Sobrino as the principal investigator, the Biological Oceanography Group (GOB) will be responsible for determining the impacts of elevated CO2 on the structure and production of the planktonic microbial community in the Rías de Vigo and Muros e Noia. On the other hand, Inés Álvarez will lead the research of the Environmental Physics Laboratory (EPhysLab), which will focus on exploring a numerical model to generate local maps with indices of upwelling, precipitation, contributions from organic matter degradation, or the increase of nutrients on the continental shelf from inland freshwater areas. The Future Oceans Lab (FOL) group, led by researcher Elena Ojea, will be in charge of predicting the economic and social impact that this reality has on the environment.

After a few months of preliminary work, the launch meeting took place this Thursday at Citexvi and was attended by 30 people representing all the partners involved, both from the UVigo groups and the rest of the entities.

A natural laboratory

Within the framework of this project, the Rías de Vigo and Muros e Noia will become a natural laboratory to investigate the acidification of coastal ecosystems, allowing the comparison of a potentially impacted space by human action with another less susceptible to anthropogenic intervention.

For the extensive research that ACID will carry out, the collaboration of an interdisciplinary group of new and established researchers at the national and international levels is counted on, who will combine their knowledge to address and understand the effect of climate change on coastal ecosystems from multiple perspectives. Along with other researchers from the University of Cádiz or the Marine Research Institute, Patrick J. Neale and Withman Miller from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in the United States, a center that will provide the team with a new instrument to continuously monitor CO2 in the water column, or Kristian Spilling from the Marine Research Centre of the Finnish Environment Institute in Finland, are also participating in the project.

Gender perspective

ACID includes, for the first time in its research, a gender perspective in assessing the risks of threats derived from climate change and acidification of coastal ecosystems. A variable of special relevance considering that almost 40% of the fishing sector is named after women, especially in intertidal mollusk fisheries.

The project will end with a final phase in which the knowledge acquired will be transferred to personnel, companies, or governmental entities, allowing the identification of critical locations and components of the coastal ecosystem with greater socio-ecological risk, from which to propose management strategies to mitigate undesired results. The project’s results will also be conveyed to the general society through workshops, presentations, and other actions aimed at raising awareness about the importance of scientific work.

ACID was selected in the call for Knowledge Generation Projects within the framework of the State Program to Promote Scientific-Technical Research and its Transfer, from the State Plan for Scientific, Technical, and Innovation Research 2021-2023. With a budget of nearly €200,000, it will be in effect until 2025.